Artist in the Planter

**Brian Voth photo: Somewhere near Holberg, 1980s***

They are perhaps the hardest working bunch anywhere in the country. Who? The coastal treeplanter, of course. Planting trees is an incredibly physically demanding job which research has revealed requires as a high a calorie intake to fight their way through a litter strewn, logged-over clear during a regular work day as that of an Olympic athlete. Not only that, it’s piece-work; you’re only getting paid when a tree is going in the ground. So if you stop often for a snack or to chat about your weekend with the bud next to you, guess what? Your next cheque is going to be reeal disappointing!

In honour of this dynamic bunch who’ve made such a major contribution to the restoration of our forests lands here on the Island, art aficionados Mark and Danielle of Union St. Grill and Grotto will be hanging the Grotto’s next exhibit, The Artist in the Planter, beginning this January. It will include a photo essay of a hippie tree planting co-op from the 1970s by Rick James, some incredible renderings by well known local artist Tracy Kobus, as well as some intriguing images from the Steven “Gom” Allen Collection.

Also, the public will have the opportunity to meet many of the Million+ (trees in the ground) Club at a gala gathering of the Comox Valley’s long-time tree planting fraternity, for the exhibition’s opening

January 9 2014 starting at 6:00 p.m.

The Union Street Grill is located at 477 5th Street in old town Courtenay.